USAID Administrator Launches New University Partnerships to End Global Hunger and Poverty

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

USAID Press Office

Washington, DC -- Today, during a speech at The George Washington University’s Feeding the Planet Summit, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv Shah announced 10 new Feed the Future Innovation Labs to increase global food security and help smallholder farmers boost incomes and improve nutrition. These Innovation Labs draw on the expertise of top U.S. universities and developing country research institutions, and will tackle some of the world’s most challenging agricultural research problems. The U.S. university-led Innovation Labs are central to advancing novel solutions in support of Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative.

“Throughout history, our greatest development advances have come from introducing safe, proven and appropriate technologies to the world's most vulnerable people,” said Dr. Shah. “Building upon a strong history of research collaboration, these new Feed the Future Innovation Labs will draw on the very best research, extension and education strengths of the U.S. and global university community to improve nutrition, end hunger, and help eradicate extreme poverty around the world.”

The new labs are part of the Feed the Future Food Security Innovation Center, launched in 2012 to support innovative research aimed at transforming agricultural production systems through “sustainable intensification” – or producing more food in an environmentally sensitive manner – ensuring access to nutritious and safe foods, creating enabling and supportive policies, and addressing the emerging challenges of climate change and natural resource scarcity. The newest additions include:

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Climate-Resilient Beans, led by Pennsylvania State University

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Climate-Resilient Cowpea, led by the University of California at Riverside

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Climate-Resilient Sorghum, led by the University of Georgia

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Applied Wheat Genomics, led by Kansas State University

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Rift Valley Fever Control in Agriculture, led by the University of Texas at El Paso

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Genomics to Improve Poultry, led by the University of California at Davis

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small-scale Irrigation, led by Texas A&M University

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Climate-Resilient Chickpea (lead university to be awarded)

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soy Value Chain Research (lead university to be awarded)

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Reduced Post-harvest Losses (lead university to be awarded)

These new research labs join the recently announced Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sorghum & Millet led by Kansas State University and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy led by Michigan State University, as well as a number of other Innovation Labs representing the breadth and diversity of U.S. university agricultural research programs. A full list of the Feed the Future Innovation Labs can be found here.

About Feed the Future: Feed the Future is the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative. With a focus on smallholder farmers, particularly women, Feed the Future supports partner countries in developing their agriculture sectors to spur economic growth and trade that increase incomes and reduce hunger, poverty and undernutrition. More information: www.feedthefuture.gov